ALP up the creek on airport: Coalition

The Federal Government plans to hit Labor with a scare campaign over its plans for a second Sydney airport if the ALP does not honour its promise to name a new preferred site for the facility this month.

The Acting Prime Minister, John Anderson, signalled last night that Labor's plan to back away from its promise would provide political ammunition for the Government in the run-up to this year's federal election.

"People all over the Sydney basin, and outside the basin, will be wondering whether Labor plans to build an airport near them if it sticks to this strange position," Mr Anderson said.

The former opposition leader, Simon Crean, committed Labor to naming a new preferred site for a second airport after his surprise decision in August to dump Badgerys Creek as the party's option.

A special committee was set up to select the site and put it to the party's national conference in Sydney this month.

The move amounted to a dangerous political challenge to Labor leader Mark Latham, who must now find a way of honouring the commitment without sparking a new wave of aircraft noise and pollution outrage from voters around the new site.

Labor figures have suggested that the party could in effect delay its decision until after the next election if the ALP conference agreed to a new site selection process rather than endorsing a single site.

The compromise deal has the support of several key players, but ALP sources cautioned yesterday that the party may still opt to name a new site and wear the political consequences.

Mr Anderson said last night that he had been surprised by Mr Latham's decision to support the dumping of Badgerys Creek by Mr Crean.

"For years, Mark Latham had been a strong supporter of Badgerys Creek, saying that it would bring development to the west of Sydney," he said. "Now, he won't say what he wants to do."

Mr Anderson and the Prime Minister, John Howard, have also walked away from their previous commitments to Badgerys Creek, arguing that the trend towards fewer and bigger aircraft means Sydney will not need a second airport for at least 20 years.